[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63246-63248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22105]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket No.: 200922-0253]


Commerce Alternative Personnel System

AGENCY: Office of Administration, Office of Human Resources Management, 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the expansion of employee coverage under 
the Commerce Alternative Personnel System (CAPS), formerly the 
Department of Commerce Personnel Management Demonstration Project, 
published in the Federal Register on December 24, 1997. This coverage 
is extended to include employees of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) located in the Southeast Regional Office.

DATES: The amended Commerce Alternative Personnel System is effective 
October 7, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Department of Commerce--Sandra

[[Page 63247]]

Thompson, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Room 51020, Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482-0056 or Valerie Smith at 
(202) 482-0272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved the Department of 
Commerce (DoC) demonstration project for an alternative personnel 
management system and published the final plan in the Federal Register 
on Wednesday, December 24, 1997 (62 FR 67434). The demonstration 
project was designed to simplify current classification systems for 
greater flexibility in classifying work and paying employees; establish 
a performance management and rewards system for improving individual 
and organizational performance; and improve recruiting and examining to 
attract highly-qualified candidates. The purpose of the project was to 
strengthen the contribution of human resources management and test 
whether the same innovations conducted under the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology alternative personnel management system would 
produce similarly successful results in other DoC environments. The 
project was implemented on March 29, 1998. The project plan has been 
modified fifteen times to clarify certain DoC Demonstration Project 
authorities, and to extend and expand the project: 64 FR 52810 
(September 30, 1999); 68 FR 47948 (August 12, 2003); 68 FR 54505 
(September 17, 2003); 70 FR 38732 (July 5, 2005); 71 FR 25615 (May 1, 
2006); 71 FR 50950 (August 28, 2006); 74 FR 22728 (May 14, 2009); 80 FR 
25 (January 2, 2015); 81 FR 20322 (April 7, 2016); 81 FR 40653 (June 
22, 2016); 81 FR 54787 (August 17, 2016); 82 FR 1688 (January 6, 2017); 
83 FR 54707 (October 31, 2018); 84 FR 22807 (May 20, 2019); and 85 FR 
12771 (March 4, 2020). With the passage of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 110-161, on December 26, 2007, the 
project was made permanent (extended indefinitely) and renamed the 
Commerce Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). CAPS provides for 
modifications to be made as experience is gained, results are analyzed, 
and conclusions are reached on how the system is working. This notice 
announces that the DoC expands CAPS to include bargaining unit 
employees in the NMFS located in the Southeast Regional Office (SERO).
    The DoC will follow the CAPS plan as published in the Federal 
Register on December 24, 1997, and subsequent modifications as listed 
in the Background Section of this notice.

Paula Patrick,
Deputy Director for Human Resources Management and Deputy Chief Human 
Capital Officer.

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary
II. Basis for CAPS Expansion
III. Changes to the Project Plan

I. Executive Summary

    CAPS is designed to (1) improve hiring and allow DoC to compete 
more effectively for high-quality candidates through direct hiring, 
selective use of higher entry salaries, and selective use of 
recruitment incentives; (2) motivate and retain staff through higher 
pay potential, pay-for-performance, more responsive personnel systems, 
and selective use of retention incentives; (3) strengthen the manager's 
role in personnel management through delegation of personnel 
authorities; and (4) increase the efficiency of personnel systems 
through the installation of a simpler and more flexible classification 
system based on pay banding, through reduction of guidelines, steps, 
and paperwork in classification, hiring, and other personnel systems, 
and through automation.
    The current participating organizations include 1 office of the 
Deputy Secretary in the Office of the Secretary, 6 offices of the Chief 
Financial Officer/Assistant Secretary for Administration in the Office 
of the Secretary; the Bureau of Economic Analysis; 2 units of the 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): The 
Institute for Telecommunication Sciences and the First Responder 
Network Authority (an independent authority within NTIA); and 12 units 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: the Office of 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, the National Marine Fisheries 
Service, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information 
Service, the National Weather Service--Space Environment Center, the 
National Ocean Service, the Program Planning and Integration Office, 
the Office of the Under Secretary, the Marine and Aviation Operations, 
the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, the Office of the Chief 
Financial Officer, the Office of Human Capital Services, formerly the 
Workforce Management Office, and the Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
    This amendment modifies the December 24, 1997, Federal Register 
notice. Specifically, it expands DoC CAPS to include NMFS bargaining 
unit employees located in the SERO.

II. Basis for CAPS Expansion

A. Purpose

    CAPS is designed to provide supervisors/managers at the lowest 
organizational level the authority, control, and flexibility to 
recruit, retain, develop, recognize, and motivate its workforce, while 
ensuring adequate accountability and oversight.
    NMFS is responsible for the stewardship of the nation's ocean 
resources and their habitat. NMFS provide vital services for the nation 
including productive and sustainable fisheries, safe sources of 
seafood, the recovery and conservation of protected resources, and 
healthy ecosystems. NMFS works in partnership with Regional Fishery 
Management Councils to assess and predict the status of fish stocks, 
set catch limits, ensure compliance with fisheries regulations, and 
reduce bycatch. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the 
Endangered Species Act, NMFS works to recover protected marine species 
while allowing economic and recreational opportunities. Since the 
inception of the demonstration project in 1997, and subsequent 
modification/expansion notices, units of NMFS have participated in 
CAPS.
    A September 17, 2003, notice (68 FR 54505) announced the expansion 
of CAPS to include non-bargaining unit employees located in the SERO, 
in St. Petersburg, Florida. With many NOAA organizations being covered 
by an alternative personnel management system, NOAA and NMFS made the 
determination to convert the remaining bargaining unit GS SERO 
workforce under CAPS.
    The expansion of CAPS coverage to include the remaining bargaining 
unit GS employees of SERO will allow NMFS to continue to benefit from 
the flexibilities provided by CAPS and should improve the 
organization's ability to recruit and retain a high-quality workforce.
    DoC's CAPS allows for modifications of procedures if no new waiver 
from law or regulation is added. Given that this expansion is in 
accordance with existing law and regulation and CAPS is a permanent 
alternative personnel system, the DoC is authorized to make the changes 
described in this notice.

B. Participating Employees

    Employee notification of this expansion will be accomplished by 
providing a full set of briefings to employees and managers and 
providing

[[Page 63248]]

them electronic access to all CAPS policies and procedures, including 
the fifteen previous Federal Register notices. This Federal Register 
notice will also be accessible electronically upon approval. Subsequent 
supervisor training and informational briefings for all employees will 
be accomplished prior to the implementation date of the expansion.

C. Labor Participation

    The Labor organization was notified about the CAPS expansion 
pertaining to their bargaining unit membership. Bargaining unit 
employees are covered by NAGE Local R5-45, St. Petersburg, Florida.

III. Changes to the Project Plan

    The CAPS at DoC, published in the Federal Register on December 24, 
1997 (62 FR 67434), is amended as follows:
    1. The following organization will be added to the project plan, 
Section II D--Participating Organizations.
    Within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
    National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS),
    Additional employees in the following:

Southeast Regional Office (SERO)
    2. The following bargaining unit is added to the project plan, 
Section II F--Labor Participation Table 4--Bargaining Unit Coverage.

 
 
 
SERO..................................   St. Petersburg, FL................  NAGE Local R5-45
 


[FR Doc. 2020-22105 Filed 10-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-EA-P